U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright has issued an emergency order to address reliability concerns for the Midwest electric grid as winter approaches. The directive requires the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), working with Consumers Energy, to keep the J.H. Campbell coal-fired power plant in West Olive, Michigan operational and take measures to limit costs for consumers. The plant had been set for closure on May 31, 2025, well before its planned design life ended.
“Because of the last administration’s dangerous energy subtraction policies targeting reliable and affordable energy sources, the United States continues to face an energy emergency,” said Energy Secretary Wright. “The Trump administration will keep taking action to reverse these energy subtraction policies, lowering energy costs and minimizing the risks of blackouts. Americans deserve access to affordable, reliable and secure energy regardless of whether the wind is blowing or the sun is shining, especially in dangerously cold weather.”
According to the Department of Energy (DOE), since its initial order on May 23, 2025, keeping the Campbell plant running has played a crucial role in supporting MISO’s operations during periods of high demand and low output from intermittent sources. A follow-up order was issued on August 20, 2025.
DOE’s Resource Adequacy Report warns that if reliable power sources are removed from service at current rates, power outages could increase by a factor of 100 by 2030. Emergency conditions that led to earlier orders remain present in MISO’s region.
Recent assessments by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) for winter reliability have found MISO’s area faces an elevated risk due to possible insufficient operating reserves under above-normal conditions.
The emergency order takes effect November 19, 2025 and remains active until February 17, 2026.
MISO’s Planning Resource Auction Results for the upcoming planning year showed that new capacity additions were not enough to offset losses from reduced accreditation and resource retirements in northern and central zones including Michigan.
In response to growing year-round reliability concerns—not just summer shortages—MISO revised its resource adequacy requirements so capacity must be available every season instead of only during peak summer months. This change was approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in August 2022 after MISO explained that “Reliability risks associated with Resource Adequacy have shifted from ‘Summer only’ to a year-round concern.”
